Combined colander, strainer, and steamer.



M. L. Fox. COMBINED coLANDER, STRAINE'R, AND STEAMER.

v Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

APPLICATION i FILED IUN E 2, |914.

i ilmfj ismmm Immun@ uNrrnn s'rA'rns PATENT' onnroa.

MAC L. FX, 0F COLUMBIAVILLE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OELFOURTH T0 W'ILLIAM B.CER-AVER, OF COLUMBIAVILLE, MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. e, 1915.

Application filed June 2,1914. Serial No. 842,461.

To all lwhom, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, MAC L. Fox, a citizen of the United States, residingat Columbiaville, in the county of Lapeer and State of Michigan, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Combined Colanders, Strainers,and Steamers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined colander, strainer and steamer; andit has for its'object the provision of a device of this character whichwill be provided with a funnel-like body portion having relativelyseparable sections between which a foraminated disk may be properlyinterposed and removably fitted thereto in such manner.

that it may be quickly disconnected therefrom and sterilized andmaintained in a sanitary condition. l

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of thischaracter which may be readily converted from a strainer to a steamingdevice and which when converted into the latter will be of such formthat the steam will be made to freely circulate through that portion ofthe device in which the articles to be cooked are arranged.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, aswill be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of thedevice; Fig. 2

is a vertical section therethrough; Fig. 3 is a perspective View of themale section of the device; and Fig. 4'is a perspective view,

vshowing the different forms of foraminated disks.

The device consists of a 'female section 1 and a male section 2, theformer being provided with a substantially funnel-shaped upper portion3, whose walls terminate into a relatively broad seat 4 at the junctureof the upper end of the section 1 with the base of the portion 3, asclearly shown in Fig. 2. The female sectionhl is provided immediatelybeneath the seat 4 with a circular series of corrugations 5, and belowthe corrugations the section 1 is provided with an integral 'section 6.'The male section 2 is provided with an external thread 7, and at apoint above the thread said male secV on is provided with an annularseries of cor- `may be used for the purpose of steaming artlcles offood` for use as a strainer or for use as a colander, and I, therefore.desire to employ a series of disks 11, 12 and 13, shown in Fig. 1. Thesedisks are of foramnated nature( `and thev meshes of the different disksvaryjaccording to-the character of'.V the work to be performed. say thedisk 11 has relatively fine meshes, and this disk may be used when thedevice is converted into a strainer. slightly larger meshes and the sameis thereby intended to beemployed in connection with the devici` whenthe latter is converted into a colander. The disk 13 has Still coal-sermeshes, and it is therefore designed to be used in connection. with thedevice when the latter is converted into a steamer. The disks 1l. 12 and13 are each of the same diameter, and either one of the said disks maybe freely passed into the female section 1 of the device and they may bebrought to bear against the seat 4 and it may be confined thereagainstby adjusting the section 2 in the member 1 and causing the flange 9 ofsaid section 2 to bear against the disk and thereby securely confine theSame therein at the bottom of the funnel portion 2.v It is stated thatthe flange 9 is split' at 10 to-render the flange yieldable. This ispreferred in order That is tolfr -AvAiLABLE Corr COMBINED COLANDER,STR-Amun., AND STEAMER.

The disk 12 has i that the two fianges 9 and 4 may be properly reliedupon to effect a proper seating of the verted into a colander will bereadily under-l stood but in order that one may clearly understand theworking of the device when converted into a steamer as hereinbeforedescribed, it is said that when using the device in this manner thelower end of the device, or in other words the section 2 is extendedinto a suitable utensil A, The foods to be cooked may be'placed in theportion 3 above the foraminated disk of the device and it will thus beseen that the steam rising` from the Water will pass through theforaminated disk and it will enterr the portion 3 of the device andfreely circulate around the foods as will be readily und`erstood. y

In orderV 1.that the steam Will be held against escaping from thesteaming portion 3 during the steaming operation it is preferred toii'rofide acover 14 hinged at 15 to one side 'of the port-ion 3. Thiscover is provided with a spring claspv 16 which is adapted toengage in acess 17 "foi-ined eXteriorly ofthe member 3. When the cover is adjustedAto a closed position, the broad upper end of the member 3 is' entirelyclosed andthe Steam will be properly confined ivithin the member, as

Will'be understood.r The 7portion 3 is described fasbeing' substantiallyof funnelsha'pe but it may bemore correctly described as semi-spherical,the Walls of vwhich' being bulged outwardly and upwardly and in effeetthe said portion 3 forms a closure for the utensil' to prevent thesteamfrom esv caping' frein the yclosure during the steamingoperationJ'The peculiar curvature of thev keeper forming reresilientmaterial and being rasees? strainer and steamer comprising a vesselhaving an opening in its bottom, a collar depending from its lower sideand concentric with said opening and also having an inwardly extendingannular iange around said openings, in combination With a tubulailmember open at its ends and threaded in saidcollar and provided at itsupper end with an inwardly extending annular flange,

and a foraminous disk secured betvveen the flanges el said vessel andsaid tubular meer ber,y the said tubular member being made of prov dedwith a slot extending across its screw threads and also `across itsflange.

ln testimony whereof I aiiix mv signature d in presence of twoWitnesses.

. MAC L. FOX. 1Witnesses:

D. H. BUTLER, EDITH C. Ross.

